Fire Emblem Awakening: Entwined Fates
by d8rkforcen1ght7
Summary: As a new age dawns, a group of gamers from Earth are flung into a world of magic, politics, and various dragon shenanigans. Some are dropped into Ylisse, joining the ranks of the Shepherds, while others are pushed right into the middle of the conflict between Hoshido and Nohr. Meanwhile, an unpredictable threat emerges: an ancient being lost to the ages. *REWRITE IN PROGRESS
1. Prologue: Waking Dreams

**Fire Emblem Awakening: Entwined Fates**

 **Prologue: Waking Dreams**

 **POV:? [Tactician]**

 **(Somewhere Outside Portal)**

 **As I fall flat on my face out of the portal I hear a familiar voice.**

 **"Owww..." I finally meet the ground, catching myself before hitting the ground. Rolling over and rubbing the back of my head, I notice my surroundings. A small glade, a pool of clear water in front of me, massive trees shading the formerly unoccupied place. "How interesting..."**

 **"Aaargh! Why the heck am I sore all over? And what's up with the Fire Emblem getup!?" I turn calmly to my incensed twin, Ishmael, who is also looking over our surroundings. I begin to assess our chances, being seperated from the others.**

 **Ishmael's definately not a morning person but our situation is very eye-opening so he is probably not mad about waking up but his surroundings. We have knapsacks filled with supplies but haven't checked ourselves. Now that I notice, there's armored robes on Ishmael, a light gray-black pattern on them. His belt carries an eerie black blade sheathed alongside an array of hand-staves, and he's leaning against a tarnished silver lance.**

 **I then look over my own odd apparel: a white cloak similar to my brother's but with emerald green markings and a bronze dragon-shaped clasp. On my belt is an odd, guardless thin glowing-black blade, a twisted draconic-styled staff in hand, and two tomes in my satchel: one is a tome titled 'Ghenise', the other is a bible with odd-looking circular marks on the last fifty pages.**

 **Pondering our circumstance, I think of the others, specifically a particularly stubborn woman...**

 ** _Meanwhile..._**

 **POV: ? [? Tactician]**

 **(? Woods of Forlorn)**

 **I'm flung into the marsh by a hulking corpse-like monster, I begin to see my life flash before my eyes: My early childhood, meeting a certain jacket-wearing dark-haired man and all of our adventures leading up to waking in the blue void and being dropped in this hellhole known as Nohr.**

 **"Peri'll catch ya tiny-lady!" The bloodthirsty retainer yells as she jumps off her horse and face-plants instead of catching me. Oh, and finding the noble house, going through a tournament, winning alongside three people who claim that I'm their aunt, and becoming the retainer of the oh-so-innocent, Princess Corrin, oh joy. She's not here by-the-way, we're actually on a 'training mission' to prove we can stay retainers, so none of our bosses are here.**

 **"Oomph!" The deep-blue-haired and flirtatious-to-all-but-me swordsman and dancer, Laslow (Whose real name is Inigo, but we can't say his name aloud.) catches me in a rolling fall, helps me up and then runs into the fight. "Stay back and cover us! Your leg's too injured for you to use Polaris, Aunt Eliza!"**

 **I scoff, pull out my tome, Le Livre Des Miracles, and charge a spell before yelling out the catalyst phrase: "Cataclysm!"**

 **As the shadowy blobs of darkness hit these creatures, which Prince Xander, calls Faceless, I hear the foul-mouthed retainer of Prince Leo, Niles, yell out in pain, cursing; I quickly pull out a Bloom Festal that I bought from a Mokushian trader and heal his wounds.**

 **"Look out!" I hear as a loud rumbling comes and a familiar armored knight with dirty red hair blocks the blow from a Faceless. His name's Charles, one of the few people from home that's here and also the third retainer of Xander.**

 **"Thanks Chuck." As the armored warrior holds off the monster.**

 **"My name's Charles but anythin' fer Isaac's girl an' one o' our tacticians, just keep outta trouble, kay?" He says as he kills the monster with his lance.**

 **POV: Ishmael [Medica]**

 **(? Peaceful Glade)** ** _Sometime after..._**

 **While Isaac packs our small camp, I plot out our course. Earlier we found a map in our bags detailing the area, but guess what? My first comment of the day was right, unfortunately. We are in freaking Ylisse!**

 **"Hey, Ishmael."**

 **"Yeah, bro?"**

 **"If we're here where is everyone else?"**

 ** _Previous day_**

 **(Outrealm Hub)**

 **The glowing blue light around us pulses as we stand on literally nothing. Nothing!**

 **"Where are we?" Eliza asks. Her oversized jacket replaced with a grey and pastel-pink cloak, a glowing book hanging in a satchel and a holy-white sword on her belt. I also notice a mark on the outside of her right hand: Glowing purple lines crisscrossing and then branching into six glaring eyes in a circular arrangement; the eerie feeling I receive seeing this mark is highly disturbing.**

 **I observe this as Isaac says something I never would have guessed him to say: "I guess we're in the Outrealms."**

 **"Ha! You have to be kidding me! We are not that lucky!" Zach, now a wolf-eared but still scrawny man in an odd mix of roguish robes and a cloak says excitedly. A glowing purple rock is fastened to a collar on his neck, a purple-black book rests in the crook of his arm, and an array of small staves hang from his belt.**

 **"Not lucky, I'd say unlucky." Grunts my friend, Charles, who is wearing bulky, dull-grey Knight's armor, the size almost exaggerated. He is hefting a large lance with a katana-like blade, possibly a killing edge.**

 **"Just keep your hopes up, everyone!" Echo, Zach's, admittedly more mature, younger sister, says excitedly, her new wolf-ears flicking in anticipation and her tail wagging. Her clothes are similar to Zach's being white and a pale blue, a gold-yellow stone hanging from her necklace, a white book in her arms, and similar staves on her belt.**

 **"Yeah, we could actually prevent Emmeryn's death!" Dylan, our resident punster, now wearing tan gauntlets, chain-mail, and ripped, dull mercenary's robe says.**

 **"How naive. It's not gonna happen if we are dropped in say, Nohr instead of Ylisse or worse Begnegon. Keep to the battlefield, Brawn." The fiery-tempered strategist, and a loyal friend, Nichole, says with scolding irritation. Her crimson cloak, archer's harness, glowing red book, and silver lance giving her an aura of intimidation. I also notice a Kinsei roosting behind her; its gaze lingering on one of our less-familiar companions, a young man in a plain black cloak, a gold-hilted sword on his belt and a black tome in hand. He watches silently, notices myself and mutters a greeting: "Name's Gris, nice to meet you." I smile and shake his hand.**

 **"** **Name's Ishmael. Hope we meet after all this."**

 **"** **Me too." The argument escalates and we both look back at the others.**

 **"Guys don't fight, please." Shelbi, another familiar face, says with a hint of worry etched on her face. Small horns now peek out of her hair as she shifts between the duo and brandishes her blade-tipped healing staff as incentive. Sage's robes cover her roguish armor, twin daggers hang parallel to her back-up staff-heads, a black book sticks out of her robes, and her deep-violet beast-stone rests in the pendant on her neck.**

 **Her fiancé, Nickola, stays vigilant next to her, magical-looking gun trained on any possible threats, a bow hanging in its quiver on his back, and daggers in quick reach on his belt. I'd describe him as a gun-toting assassin, but he actually prefers direct routes from what I've seen in paintball matches, if military training changed anything, it made him talk a bit less.**

 **Across from them, Luke, our calm, collected, who am I kidding he's just out of it and doesn't care. Luke is waiting to the side, an odd, curved staff that looks like a fusion between a bow and a double-sided lance rests on his back, magical energy coiling across it as he looks through a small manual labeled: Spell-bows for Morons. He is wearing slim half-robes and a classical thief's getup beneath that, three daggers of differing lengths on his belt.**

 **Next to him is our overworked but lovable buddy, 'Captain' Edward. He is wearing a kinder-colored version of a Dread Fighter's gear, but a shield instead of a mask hanging on his person. He seems armed with an Iron sword, a dark-blue book at his waist, and a few small-arms axes crossed on the back of his belt. Ed nods at me and enjoys the show, as this happens a lot more often than we'd like. Oh, well nothing we can do about it until they get over themselves.**

 **Lee, our crafting genius, fiddles with her long multi-colored hair as she yawns and acts uninterested.**

 **"Can't you just hope we survive before playing god? Seriously, if I didn't know any better I'd think you two were siblings!" She says this as she puts away her large pale blue-silver lance and begins fiddling with the scrolls hanging from her bag, small animals made of light rubbing against her cloak. As she says this, Sam, our ever-present shadow, a quiet but wise companion, finally decides to speak up.**

 **"** **All of you need to just shut up and get over yourselves. I've been listening to the same stupid argument for six years!" Gris and I share a look and, I continue my observation. Sam's clothing resembles a thief's but better kept. Instead of a sword he has daggers and a lance.**

 **Soon a flash of blinding light fills the room, the semi-floor gives away and we fall; a feminine voice cackles and yells: "You can't change Fate! You can only fall to it and reform from the dust it leaves behind! Enjoy your new fates, Terran Outrealmers! Haahahahhhaaaa!"**

 ** _Present..._**

 **"Well?" Isaac asks, squinting ahead as we begin our walk towards the open field ahead.**

 **"I think we'll find them eventually."**

 **POV: Nichole [Aerial Strategist]**

 **(Nohr: Woods of Forlorn)**

 **"Where are those morons, Odin?" I ask to the arcane fencer and fellow retainer, who somehow, managed to convince me to take him, Camilla's retainer Beruka, Elise's retainers Effie and Arthur.** ** _'Gods I hate that guy.'_**

 **"Further north, Lady Nichole. If we continue on this path, our bound power shall be unleashed on those our liege deems enemies!" He says, his left hand nearing his sword, Mistletain, and his Nosferatu tome; I simply roll my eyes and thank him. Then a voice I abhor decided to grace us with its presence.**

 **"Good tactician, might we join our comrades on their quest?" I nod vaguely. "For justice!" The bumbling wannebe hero exclaims in response, earning a scowl from my direction.**

 **"Augh! Arthur! Just die!" I exclaim just as he trips and falls.**

 **POV: Zach [Dark-Beast]**

 **(Ylisse: Somewhere near Southtown)**

 **"Hey, Big Bro?" My overly excited sibling says, her tail flipping about her, and skips on the road. "Do you think anyone else is on their way to Southtown?"**

 **"Probably, Creampuff." She stops, puffs up her cheeks and harrumphs.**

 **"Don't call me Creampuff! I'm way more mature than you when I want to be!"**

 **"Then why are you having a tantrum, huh?" I cross my arms and smirk, facing her as her ears go flat and she bares her fangs at me.**

 **"Because I don't like that nickname!" She then abruptly looks happy and runs ahead squealing. "Hey look! There's Southtown and it's not on fire! Yeeeeeeeeeeeee!"**

 **"*Sigh* Oh well, might as well keep her out of trouble. Maybe we'll get in a fight and someone can face my fury..." I trail off as I follow her, my hands resting in the folds of my cloaks.**

 **POV: Luke [Spell-shot]**

 **(Hoshido: Great Wall of Suzanoh)**

 **"Tell me Nohrian, do you regret your attempt at espionage yet!?" The crazy pineapple-haired archer holding his glow-y bow in front of me.**

 **"Man, I have no idea what you're talking 'bout. I just woke up after being puked out of a blue hole in the sky." He scowls and the purple-haired lady next to him moves her pointy stick in my direction.**

 **"You will respect Prince Takumi and answer his questions before you die, Nohrian scum!"**

 **"Lady, I don't know anything about your country or whatever this 'Nohr' is, but I know you probably won't kill me. Also, do I even look like I'm form what'cha call it?" I point at myself, then slowly stumble to a sitting position.**

 **"He does have a point, brother." A guy in a metal lobster suit walks up, a glowing sword with lightening on his belt.**

 **"Brother! /Lord Ryoma!" Both of these hard cases bow and move out of the way.**

 **Lobster-guy walks up and pulls me to my feet. "So where are you from? How did you find yourself on our defensive walls?"**

 **"I fell out of a blue hole in the sky. Is nobody listening today?"**

 **POV: Lee [Shaman]**

 **(Hoshido): (Hoshidan Village)**

 **"Thank you, miss." I say as the kind older woman in front of me hands me a cup of tea.**

 **"You don't have to thank me, Yasuko Li, you did save my daughter from those horrible creatures the Nohrians send across the border. You weren't even bound to our country, which is why our village is thankful for your saving it."**

 **"You still don't have to be so generous Miss Amatsu. It was really nothing." I bow my head and gently pet the spectral fox sitting on my shoulder.**

 **"Nonsense! Please call me Amu, it's what everyone calls me nowadays anyway, missy. Mozu!" The girl I saved runs into the room, slightly ruffled but still fine.**

 **"Yes, mother?"**

 **"Why don't you show Miss Li around the village?" The girl shyly looks up, blushing and looking guarded.**

 **"Yes, Ma'am." I get up as Amu walks over to her dresser and pulls out a small bag.**

 **"** **Now Mozu, get yourself something nice; you have been working hard all these years and your father and I decided that you deserved a reward after all these years." The girl, if possible, seems even shyer after this statement; is the normally this shy or is it because there's a guest present while she's getting rewarded?**

 **"** **Yes mother, is there anything you need in town while I am there?" She nearly whispers out.**

 **The older woman looks contemplative for a brief moment. "Yes, your father's old war-spear needs repairs, even with the new magic-maintained weapons out there, he thinks it's best to have a reliable weapon; how about you get yourself a bow, too?" Soon afterward, we head to the market.**


	2. Chapter 1: Invisible Ties

**AN: Thanks to Akaidra ZX for being the first to favorite this story. This story is three years in the making and is not going to stay completely true to the FE timeline/universe. THIS IS AN AU for those of you who read this remember: Fanfiction=Not owned by author, only OCs. Thank you, enjoy.**

 **Chapter One: Invisible Ties**

 **POV: Isaac [Tactician]**

 **(Ylisse: (Road to Southtown)-**

 **(Southwest Route)**

 **As I stare down the lance pointed in front of my nose, I notice Ishmael snickering as he remains 'trapped' under me, both of us knocked onto the ground and held at spear point by the wariest of warriors, the most rigorous of retainers: Fredrick the Wary.**

 **"Who are you!?" He yells, I grimace at the blade, only inches from skewering me.**

 **"Can you let us up first?" My twin asks, groaning under the weight of his armor, me, and all of our stuff.**

 **"Fredrick! Stand down!" A familiar blue-haired royal commands, though I see he has his sword ready in case we are a threat.**

 **"Yes, Milord Chrom."**

 ** _After a brief minute of awkward attempts to get up while trying not to be killed..._**

 **"So, I'm Ishmael and this," He gestures to me. "Is my humble servACK!" I quickly elbow him, right in between the ribs. "Sorry, my brother, Isaac, he's a strategic genius by the way. Me? Well, I heal and hurt on the battlefield."**

 **"That doesn't explain your following us or your almost Pleigian-style robes." Freddy says, you guessed it, cautiously.**

 **I am quick to keep my errant brother from getting us killed. "Well, we fell out of a hole in the sky, found out we were in a world that's supposed to be fictional, and followed the road to civilization."**

 **"What do you mean by a fictional world?" The short, blond, younger sister of Prince Chrom. Her clerical robes also signifying her status as Princess of Ylisse.**

 **"Well, Princess Lissa, where we come from Archnea and all the other continents of this world are fictional and magic doesn't exist." As I say this, Chrom pulls out his sword: Falchion, the tooth of Naga, and Fredrick hefts his lance at both of us.**

 **"Who are you and where are you from?" Lissa asks.**

 **"We're technically Outrealmers." Ishmael states.**

 **"Lies!" Fredrick shouts and simultaneously his lance and my odd blade transforms, Skygge-Lysre: the Darklighter, now a blade split vertically between holy light and disturbing darkness, clash.**

 **Wait, Darklighter? Where'd that come from?**

 **My blade glows as I yell out instinctively: "You won't break me!"**

 **POV: Ishmael [Medica]**

 **(Ylisse): (Road to Southtown)-**

 **(Southwest Route)**

 **While my idiot genius of a brother friggin' BLOCKS Fred-bear's FRIGGIN LUNA!, a wild Chrom runs at me, Falchion poised to strike my head, and I simply draw my black blade, Cerberus, and parry his blow.**

 **"Prince-y, ya better listen to us, we're not your enemies!" He backs and preps a guarded stance, but he lowers it as he sees me sheathe Cerberus. "I'm not gonna fight you, keep coming but all I'll do is block ya."**

 **"Chrom! They aren't lying! Look!" Lissa yells over the noise of Isaac and Freddy Fuzz's little 'duel' over there.**

 **As we turn to look at the whole mess, I notice a glowing mark on the inside of Isaac's left hand: emerald green lines forming a tree-like figure in the palm of his hand, an eye-like circle in the center, an arrow going downward through the middle of his mark, and four, smaller circles marking the bottom of the chilling symbol; a word whispers in my mind, a name I vaguely recognize: Anankos. I quickly look at my hands and the mark in the center of my right palm, glowing an eerie sickly-green as opposed to my brother's emerald mark. Isaac prepares to block another over-powered blow when a light, serene melody carries in the wind. I then begin to feel immense pain as the unheard lyrics echo in my mind:** ** _~You are the ocean's gray waves... destined to seek life beyond the shore... just out of reach...~_**

 **** **It soon fades in the wind and everyone stops their conflict, looking around them, searching for the source of the beautiful, if painful, song. Fredrick's facial expression softens as he puts his lance away and coughs.**

 **"My apologies, I lost control of my actions for a moment, any hostilities I've displayed were unacceptable for one of my calling."**

 **Isaac sheathes his now dual-colored blade, then he clasps Fredrick's shoulder, much to Chrom's chagrin. "Understandable, we came off as a little crazy when we tried to tell our tale. How about we explain ourselves better on the way to town?" As he starts regaling our new travel buddies with tales of towering spires of metal and pocket libraries, I drift away, feeling drawn towards the field ahead.**

 **"That can wait, brother. I feel like we should go over there. Come on!" I yell and rush off to the warm feeling ahead; I hear Lissa and the others yell for me as I sprint ahead.**

 **After gaining some ground, I stop to catch my breath only to notice two cloaked people haphazardly laying on the ground. Both wearing black cloaks, purple lines trailing in strange designs on them and gold clasps in the front. A jagged sword, resembling a lightning bolt, rests attached to the belt of the larger figure, a crimson tome on his lap, and a dark purple tome rests in his grip. The smaller figure, a woman with the same white hair as her companion, clutches a bluish blade similar to a feather and a pair of tomes in her arms: one holy white, the other electric gold. I approach them and kneel down, shaking their shoulders. Soon, I realize that they are twins, a man and woman my own age, examining closer gives me a startling revelation: they are the default avatars of Fire Emblem: Awakening.**

 **The woman wakes first, her eyes opening slowly as she gives a cute little cats yawn.**

 **…** **Wait. Why did that train of thought just go through my mind? Oh, she's awake. Play it cool.**

 **"** **Ya know, there's better places to sleep than on bare ground. Right?" Real smooth, Ace, real smooth. Why do I care, again? "Here give me your hand, I'll steady you until we can wake your brother." Please let that be her brother, rather overprotective blood sibling than romantic interest. Wait, stay away thoughts, I don't even know her!**

 **"*Yawn*" Aww. Wait. What? "When did you get here, Ishmael?" How does she know my name?**

 **"** **I thought you were behind me in the corridor." I give her a confused, blank, stare. "Hey, how'd we end up in this field?" She then looks to her male companion, who is getting up himself, I check to see she is steady and then help him up. He mutters thanks and begins to check over himself mumbling a string of words as he straightens his clothing. "Hawk, how'd we end up here?"**

 **Now known as Hawk and still straightening out his cloak, he starts murmuring another string of words. His twin, still unnamed, quirks a brow and smirks, mockingly. I'm staring at this interaction seeing exactly why I was being drawn to them, a near reflection of how I and my brother treat each other, albeit differing. Hmm. Does that make me narcissistic for being attracted to the person filling my role in this similar scenario? Nah, I'm overthinking this. My mind is too filled with Mom's Psyche coursework to not overthink things right now: like my nonchalant attitude to appearing in another world. I turn back to the scene, the twins still trying to figure out their circumstances.**

 **"I can't understand you right now bro, speak up."**

 **"I said why don't you ask Ishmael? He seemed pretty well-informed in our visions." What? "I also said that we shouldn't be able to remember anything but somehow, we relived the lives of our future selves without losing our own memories. Against all odds, sis, we remember everything: our past, the fallen future, and the present. And in all of it I'm still single, at least until after Grima which I didn't get that far before being woken up." Wow. Chronologic visions? And incomplete ones? Must. Research…rebooting…error… "Naga damn it." Okay, I need to stop talking to Sam. Hawk's face brightens and his attitude takes a one-eighty suddenly. Looking in the direction he's pointing I can see why. "Oh, Robin look it's Lissa and everybody. Hey guys!"**

 **"*Pant. Pant. Pant* Ishmael wait up!" Isaac frantically rushes up the hill, the trio of Shepherds following closely behind him. Isaac, ever the trooper, sprits the distance faster than someone his build should be able to. He quickly comes to a stop upon seeing the duo of siblings conversing with me.**

 **"Isaac don't run so fast!" Lissa whines. After she and the rest of the group, arrive, Fredrick looks at the two new arrivals.**

 **"** **Who are you? Why are Pleigians walking casually in Ylissian territory?" Chrom also notices their attire, ensues to notice their weapons; he slowly lowers his hand near his rapier, not daring to keep his dominant hand close to Falchion, as to keep a wary, yet welcoming, appearance.**

 **Hawk answers swiftly afterward, keeping his hands in a passive gesture as he puts his tomes into his satchel. "Simply put: we're escaping the Grimleal and attempting to warn the local villages of raids before we go to Ylisstol. We've been trying to prevent an apocalypse, ya know, Grima returning, Risen decimating humanity, Pleigia getting revenge for the previous Ylissian kings crusades."**

 **Chrom's hand drops at the same time as Isaac's jaw, bet he didn't expect them to have their memories, eh?**

 **"** **Chrom! The Town!" Lissa yells out, and Chrom pulls out his rapier, beginning to run towards the town, Lissa trailing him.**

 **"** **Milord! What of those four!?" Fredrick asks as he mounts his steed and charges the town with the others.**

 **"** **Unless they're on fire too, they can wait!"**

 **After a few moments of awkward silence, Hawk and Robin look at us expectantly. Except it's not us, just me. Isaac can be seen running after the trio of Shepherds.**

 **"** **What?!"**

 **"** **Well? You three coming?" Isaac yells from halfway down the hill, looking back at Hawk, Robin, and myself, all of us surprised that he got there so quickly we all nod and follow suit.**

 **POV: Robin [Tactician]**

 **(Ylisse): (Southtown)**

 **I pull out my Aura tome and my sonic-sword, stuffing my Thoron tome in my bag for later as I run alongside Ishmael to the flaming village known as Southtown.**

 **"** **Hey, I didn't properly introduce myself!"**

 **He looks at me while hefting his Iron lance. "We'll save it for later, Feather-head. Gotta save a village!" My chest has a warm feeling inside, knowing he took much longer to make that nickname in my time. Probably because he didn't want to seem like he was mocking an amnesiac for being 'light-headed' and it coming off as him making fun of their mind instead of complimenting their hair; he thinks of little things like that, it may seem strange but it's how he is.**

 **I dodge under a blast of Fire, retaliating with rings of light blasting many foes only to burn and blind them for Fredrick or wipe them out when they are weakened. These must be the ones Fredrick and Chrom faced when things went differently; now that we have experience and foreknowledge, Hawk and I split the team evenly, making our way towards that adorable little pup and her perv-y brother. I grab a pebble of the ground and toss it to Ishmael, knowing he'll figure it out.**

 **"** **Catch!" Wordlessly, he snatches it from the air and throws it in the face of the brigand's leader. The leader dodges, only to be splashed in the face by Isaac's Aqua spell and, promptly killed by Chrom. Our group pauses to catch a breath and heal our wounds; then we go towards the duo of wolf-like beings finishing up their fight, only to hear two words before a flashing light fills everyone's vision.**

 **"** **NO! NICKNAMES!"**

 _Meanwhile, during battle…_

 **POV: Zack [Dark-Beast]**

 **(Ylisse): (Inside Southtown)**

 **Dodging an ax is harder than is looks, especially when you aren't used to a new form.**

 **"** **Jus' die 'lready s'upid mutt!" The brigand shouts as he swings his ax haphazardly; I simply respond by willing some of the shadow-winds flowing around my body at him. "Augh!"**

 **A strange feeling of overabundant energy comes over me as I yell out telepathically: "YOUR PAIN! MY PLEASURE!" Pure chaos ensues, blades of light-absorbing darkness slice through the air and the gang of brigands surrounding me collapse, most now corpses, and I hear a shout.**

 **"** **Brother! Look out!" I move towards the voice and narrowly avoid a large tomahawk that would have bisected me.**

 **"** **Thanks, Cream!" I hear a huff of indignation, and see a blast of light just out of the corner of my eye.**

 **"** **NO! NICKNAMES!" The small group of brigands surrounding us are thrown to the ground and the area becomes silent, their bodies still. I look at my sheepish little wolf-sis and simply give her the best dead-pan expression a wolf can give.**

 **"** **We speak of this to no one."**

 **"** **Agreed."**

 **"** **HEY GUYS! NICE JOB KILLING THOSE BRIGANDS!" A female yells out obnoxiously. We startle but stop charging our magic upon seeing Isaac and Ishmael standing with a group of people in front of us.**

 **POV: Echo [Light-Beast]**

 **(Ylisse): (Southtown Church)- (Front)**

 **The. Horror. Everyone saw my tantrum: THE Chrom, along with Lissa, Fredrick, the two default tacticians…wait what? I quickly transform back, seeing as they had finished off everyone else while we were fighting.**

 **"** **Umm. How much d- "**

 **Ishmael interrupts.**

 **"** **Did we see?" I nod. Chrom looks at us, looking at our tails and wolf-ears baffled. Fredrick seems…wary but, that is his natural state. Lissa seems excited: by both the concept of someone turning into an animal and by a female her age being in the group. The 'Female Robin' looks at me with…is** ** _that_** **nostalgia? 'Male Robin' looks exasperated by the entire situation, as if he's seen it a thousand times. Likewise, so are the twins looking amused, irritated, and relieved all at once.**

 **"** **Everything." I blanch. "You did good." What? No mocking? Okay? "Just don't hold back so much, I only saw you actually put in effort after being egged on by Zach." Criticism? Welp. That's normal for me.**

 **Fredrick speaks up after Zach finishes introducing us.**

 **"** **Milord, how should we go about this? These…" He frowns in the direction of both pairs of twins, turns his head to glare at Zach, and the smiles softly at me. "Travelers could be assassins or the like sent here to kill you."**

 **Ishmael and the woman, Robin, step back, as Isaac and 'Hawk' give each other a quick wordless conversation. They then pointedly stare at my brother as he tries to speak up, silencing him. Isaac then steps forward, a diplomatic air about him I've only seen when he gets serious.**

 **"** **We understand the skepticism, Sir Fredrick. In your position as retainer of the Prince and Princess of the realm I'd stab first and ask questions later too. We'll accept any judgement you pass, Lord Chrom, as you are one of the highest authorities of Ylisse."**

 **"** **Thank you, Isaac, for being understanding of the situation. I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that there are Outrealmers in front of me." He smiles and then looks at Fredrick. "I think we can trust them. We could use people with their talents in the Shepherds, couldn't we Fredrick?"**

 **"** **Milord, while their talents are helpful and they do seem friendly, remember your great, great, uncle who was betrayed by a friendly face." He looks at us sternly, yet kind in judgement. It's as if he's saying: 'Sorry but it is not personal, my charges before trust.'; I respect that, my big bro's the same with guys who try to date me.**

 **"** **They fought for the lives of Ylisse's people: my heart says that's enough and I agree with it." He looks at us all, meeting our eyes with each coming word.**

 **"** **So how about it? Will each of you join the Shepherds?**

 **We may be a motley crew, but we are also family." He smiles waiting for an answer. I run up and high-five Lissa, my brother trailing after me. "Yes for us, I guess." He states firmly.**

 **Soon after, 'Hawk' and Robin walk up calmly and bow in unison to the noble siblings. "We'd be honored."**

 **Finally, Isaac and Ishmael walk up.**

 **"** **Where do I sign up? If signing up gives you a horse and Fredrick-ness, I'm definitely in." Ishmael jokes.**

 **Fredrick looks at him, demurely. "I'll have you kn- "**

 **"** **Relax it's just a bit of humor." Isaac cuts in. "We'd be glad to join." As we begin to help clean the town and heal the villagers, I let my thoughts drift. Will Risen fall out of the sky? Will everyone be safe? How**

 **everybody else is doin'?**

 **POV: ? [?/?]**

 **(Ylisse)- (Ylisstol Streets)**

 **I begin to slink around the corner, hoping these 'heroes' won't catch me…not happening.**

 **"** **Hey buddy, we just want to talk!" The short-haired muscleman calls.**

 **"** **Yeah, right. That's what the knights said too." I subtlety slide one of the hidden shuriken out of its pouch, this particular one a smoke-bomb. Much to my displeasure, Whiskers, the tall, dark woman of the group runs faster than my reaction time, disarming me. "What!?"**

 **"** **Be still, man-spawn." She holds me in place, her 'friends' walk up and block the exits. "Check his bag." Muscleman walks up and pulls out my current mark, a small dark-purple talisman that I'd snagged off the old lady standing to the left, her hand clasped around a ornate silver lance. It's not like she's broke or anything, right?**

 **"** **Thank you, Dylan." Muscles nods and she then looks at Whiskers. "You as well, Panne." She then looks at me.**

 **"** **Child, my name is Talian. You are going to work for me for a bit, you'll get your sweets, money, and revenge; I'll get a good thieving ninja, one of the greatest in his clan from what I can tell." I pale in shock at her statement and look at her companions: Whiskers, rolling her Beast-stone in her hand, Brawn, the muscleman himself, is grinning and pumping his fists not even looking at his weapons, Talian, a woman I can respect, is smiling benevolently at me surprisingly, Bard, the pale man with pointed ears and wearing a tan cloak, is just skimming through his tome, and finally there's Arc, her black-and-white hair giving her Kohgan ancestry her Outlaw's gear giving me a sense of familiarity, especially her Yumi that she carries.**

 **"** **Alright, so what now?" I say as Whiskers lets go of me. "Well, what's your name?" Arc asks nonchalantly twirling a dagger.**

 **"** **Gaius." Brawn seems to grin wider at this. Curious.**

 **"** **Your** ** _real name_** **Idiot." She says pointedly, Brawn looks confused at this.**

 **"** **Asugi Saizo, I'm from Hoshido." Brawn promptly faints.**


End file.
